2of4Texas State's Everett Withers looks towards the scoreboard during a replay in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas beat Texas State, 42-3.(AP Photo/Samantha Baker)Photo: Samantha Baker, FRE

3of4Texas State coach Everett Withers, left, and his UH counterpart, Tom Herman, go way back together in their careers. But today they will try to beat each other.Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff

4of4Texas State's Everett Withers looks towards the scoreboard during a replay in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas beat Texas State, 42-3.(AP Photo/Samantha Baker)Photo: Samantha Baker, FRE

SAN MARCOS - Most weeks Tom Herman and Everett Withers spend time talking on the phone.

But the longtime friendship was briefly put on hold as Herman's sixth-ranked Cougars prepare to play Withers' Texas State Bobcats.

"I love Everett to death, but we won't talk this week," Herman said.

The friendship of the two coaches is one of several subplots when the two teams meet in a non-conference game Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium.

UH assistants Craig Naivar and Jason Washington once served on staffs at Texas State; Herman was offensive coordinator for the Bobcats' Southland Conference-leading offenses for two seasons from 2005-06.

One of the most intriguing connections this week is former Houston director of recruiting Adrian Mayes, who is in his first season as Bobcats offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Mayes' departure after last season's Peach Bowl victory and familiarity with the UH program made for some inconvenience in practice this week, as the Cougars had to change how they signal calls into the game.

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About the game

When/where: 6 p.m. today; Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos.

TV/radio: ESPNU; 950 AM.

Series: Texas State leads 4-2.

Records: Houston 3-0, Texas State 1-1.

Storyline: How much will ailing UH quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (right shoulder) play? The No. 6 Cougars, 34½-point favorites, would like to open a big lead to give their star a short night, especially with another quick turnaround on tap Thursday night, a home conference game against Connecticut.

Houston can win if: The running game can take control and a dominant defense shows why it leads the nation in run defense and is 11th in total defense.

Texas State can win if: QB Tyler Jones can exploit a UH secondary with another big performance like the season opener, when he threw for 418 yards and four touchdowns in a triple-overtime win at Ohio.

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"Absolutely, that will be a big challenge for us," Herman said. "We're having to change everything.

"Every sign, every call, every check.

"It's a booger because you're trying to get ready to win a game and yet you are having to spend this inordinate amount of time to mask what you are doing."

On two staffs together

Herman said facing a former staff member who might know details of the Cougars' in-game strategy is part of the coaching business.

"Adrian wouldn't be a good coach if he didn't know what was going on," Herman said. "It's not a matter that we are changing plays, but how we call, communicate and how we signal."

Withers, who is in his first season at Texas State, said this week he would tap into Mayes' knowledge of UH's personnel.

"We can use all the resources (we can get)," Withers said.

Herman and Withers have spent time on the same coaching staffs on two occasions on the way to taking over their own programs.

At Texas, Withers served as defensive backs coach and Herman was a graduate assistant on coach Mack Brown's staff.

"I thought he was one of those guys who you knew was going to be a really good coach one day," Withers said. "You can tell with guys that are sharp, understand the game and understand how to build relationships with players."

The two coaches spent two seasons together on Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State, including the Buckeyes' unbeaten campaign in 2012.

Sharing a blueprint

Withers, 53, left in 2013 to take the coaching job at James Madison, where he was 19-7 and made a FCS playoff appearance.

Herman, 41, won a national championship as Buckeyes offensive coordinator in 2014 before becoming UH's coach in 2015, where he has compiled a 16-1 record and has the Cougars in the early discussion for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Withers won his Texas State debut, a 56-54 triple-overtime thriller over Ohio. But the Bobcats are coming off a 42-3 loss at No. 24 Arkansas after managing 105 yards of total offense.

"We kind of know what Tom is trying to put together," Withers said. "We kind of know the blueprint.

"It's not much different than what we are trying to do here."

But after this weekend, the phone calls will start up again.

"We don't hate any opponent," Herman said. "They are just the next one that stands in our way to winning a championship."

Joseph Duarte has been a sports reporter for the Houston Chronicle since August 1996. He currently covers college athletics, focusing on the University of Houston. Previously, he wrote about the Houston Astros from 1998-2002, Houston Texans from 2002-05 and the Texas Longhorns from 2005-09. He came to the Houston Chronicle as part of an internship through the Sports Journalism Institute in 1995.